Taximeter



Feb. 23, 1932. r B. c. PALMER 1,846,353

TAXIMETER Filed May 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet l //VV/V 70/? BRIAN C- PALMER.

Feb. 1932. a. c. PALMER 1,846,353

TAXIMETER Filed May 11, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PAID TOTAL NOTRL'CORNNG CASH TELL PRINT 7 METER STARTERS MILES MILES MINUTES UNITS TRIPS EXTRAS TALE CONTROL NUMBER- KEY Il l l l l' //v VE/V 70/2 BR/AN a. PAL MEH ATTORNEX Patented Feb. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRIAN C. PALMER, OF WEST NEW YORK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO OHMER FARE REGISTER COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO TAXIMETER Application filed May 11, 1928.

In the patent to J. F. Ohmer and E. H. Bridenbaugh, 1,136,164, patented April 20, 1915, is disclosed a taximeter in which there is interlocking mechanism between the print ing shaft and the flag shaft so that it is impossible to reset the flag shaft without taking a printed impression. One of the ob jects of the present invention is to eliminate the said interlocking mechanism and in lieu thereof to provide means to indicate that the driver or operator has not taken the printed impression at the end of any given trip. In normal operation he would throw the flag into operating position and when the trip was completed he would return thefiag to vacant position and take a printed mpression. If he should fail to take the lmpression I have provided means whereby his failure to perform his duty will be detected and 0 recorded. 1 have further provided means whereby the correct transaction can be ascertained in spite of his failure to properly operate the taximeter.

Another object of the invention is to sunplify the operating mechanism in a printing taximeter by providing a counter to detect the improper operation of the printing mechanism or the failure to operate, and which will permit the printing to be done independently of the flag so that the counter readings are not changed by the operation of the printing mechanism.

In cab operation it is necessary to print an outgoing and an incoming meter read ng and it is also necessary for starters to print records for the start and completion of flat rate trips. In other printing meters it has been customary to print the record by the operation of the flag and in doing this the FY11) and cash counters are operated so that it is necessary to deduct the unearned tripsfrom the total when computing the records. I have overcome this difficulty by providing a printing mechanism which is entirely independent of the flag. The relatively complicated mechanism for interlocking the flag with the printing mechanism is eliminated while the proper operation of the printing mechanism by the driver is readily controlled Serial No. 277,045.

by the cab operator by means of the control counter.

In the drawings, I have shown my invention incorporated in the type of taximeters shown in the said patent to J. F. Ohmer and E. H. Bridenbaugh, 1,136,164.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the machine with the casing removed, many of the parts being omitted for the sake of clearness, which parts are not necessary to secure an understanding of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional, elevational view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail, fragmentary view of the means to operate the clutch lever, and

Fig. 5 is a record taken from the machine.

The framework of the taximeter is essentially the same as that indicated in the above mentioned patent and the main drive shaft 6 is driven through a gear 7, worm 8 and spindle 9 which is connected to the flexible shaft driven from a moving part of the vehicle, such as the front wheel or the transmission shaft. A gear 3, having a clutch member 4 secured thereto, is rotatably mounted on the drive shaft 6, which gear 3 is in mesh with the gear 2 secured to the units wheel of a printing control counter 1. Suitable transfer gears interconnect the various printing wheels of the counter 1 in a conventional manner. A sleeve 15 is splined to the shaft 6 by a pin and slot connection 23 so that the sleeve is capable of longitudinal movement relative to the shaft 6 but rotates therewith. The sleeve 15 carries a clutch member 5 and two collars 24 spaced apart, leaving a channel therebetween in which rests the bifurcated lower extremity of a lever 10 pivoted at 11 to a lug attached to the framework. A spring 26 is attached to the framework of the meter and presses against the lower part of the lever 10 so as to tend to urge the clutch member 5 into engagement with the clutch member 4. Approximately midway between the pivot point 11 and the upper extremity of the lever 10 is positioned a nose 12 which engages a cam 22 on the printing shaft 21. The printing shaft 21 also carries cams 25 which engage rollers 27 mounted on pins 28 secured to a platen carrying member 29 which is slidably mounted in bearings 30 and carries a platen 31, which platen presses record paper (not shown) as indicated in Fig. 5 against the printing control counter 1 as well as againstall of the other printing wheels indicated in Fig. 1 which are not specifically described in" this application for they are fully described in the above referred to patent. The printing shaft 21 is also provided with a ratchet 32 which is engaged by a pawl 33"pivoted on a pin 34 which is secured to one of the sidewalls of the taximeter, which pawl carries a pin 35 to which is attached. a spring 36 having its other end attached to a pin 37 secured to one of the sidewalls, of the meter. This pawl and ratchet construction permits the shaft 21 to be rotated by the crank handle 41 in one direction only, and when it is so rotated the cams 25 cause the platen 31 to press the paper against the printing wheels and therea 'ter to be retracted therefrom by any conventional means such as the spring 38.

The flag 39 is mounted on a flag shaft 18 on which is secured a cam 17 which engages an end 16 of a trigger 14 pivoted on a lug 20. The trigger 14 is provided with a lug 40 which is adapted to engage the upper part 13 of the lever 10. The trigger member 14 is normally urged so. that the end 16 is engaged with the cam 17 by means of a spring 19 secured to one of the partition. walls of the taximeter.

In normal operation when the cab is dispatched in the morning the starter inserts his key shown in the said patent and rotates the crank handle 41 whereby a printed impression is taken of all of the type wheels, which printed impression is indicated by the top line numerals in Fig. 5. The operation of the shaft 21 rotates the cam 22. :which engages the nose 12: and rotates the lever 10 in a clockwise direction as viewed in. Fig. 1 sothat the upper part 13 of the lever 10 is engaged behind the lug 40 of the trigger member 14, and is held in that position so that the clutch members 4 and 5 are disengaged and the printing control counter 1 will not be actuated by a movement of. the vehicle. 7

Whena passenger is secured the flag should be thrown into lowered position. This movement will not trip the trigger 14 as the end 16 thereof will ride on the circular part of the cam 17 as clearly shown in Fig.

'2. When the passenger is discharged the flag should be rotated to its upright position, which movement will cause the cam 17 torotate the trigger member 14 in a clockwise'direction as viewedin F 1, disengaging the lug 40 from the upper part 13 of the lever 10, and the spring 26 will move the clutch member 5 into engagement-with the clutch operation of the taximeter.

member 4. If the vehicle is now operated all mileage will be recorded on the printing control counter 1. The driver should prevent this and the only way that he can do so is to take a printed impression by rotating the crank handle 41 so that the cam 22 will engage the nose 12 of the lever 10 and move the upper part 13 to the right of the lug 40 and the spring 19 will move the lug 40 downwardly over the upper end of the lever so that the clutch member 5 will be disengaged from the clutch member 4. Further operation of the vehicle after the taking of the printed impression will not accumulate mileage on the printing control counter 1.

A. sample record is indicated in F 5 in which trips 656, 657 and 658 show a correct The record shows that at the completion of trip 659 the driver failed to take the printed impression and all of the data accumulated until the completion of trip 660, at which time it was shown that for the two trips there were siX paid miles, nine total miles and the printing control counter 1 likewise indicated nine miles, showing that the print was made at the conclusion of trip 660. If the printing control counter I had indicated only eight miles it would have shown that the printing operation was performed one mile before the termination of trip 660.. The correlation, therefore, -between the readings of the printcontrol counter 1, the total miles and the paid miles shows conclusively whether or not the driver is correctly operating the taximeter and how many miles or tenths of miles he ran without taking the printed impression. I have, therefore, provided a complete check of the operations of the taximeter and have avoided the. intricate mechanism interconnecting and interlocking the flag shaft with the printing shaft.

I realize that many changes may be made in the specific form shown herein by way of illustration and I, therefore, reserve to myself the right to make all changes which may fairly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a taXimeter, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said shafts being separately and independently operable, a counter, and means to cause said counter to be actuated when the vehicle is driven during and only during the interval between the complete operation of the flag shaft and the operation of the printing shaft. 7

2. In a taXimeter, a counter, a plurality of shafts, means whereby said shafts may be separately actuated, and means wherebysaid counter may be actuated when the vehicle is driven during and only during the interval between the rotation of the said shafts.

3. In a taximeter, a flag shaft, a. printing shaft, said shafts being separately and independently operable, and means to indicate the distance the vehicle travels after said flag shaft has been returned to vacant position and before said printing shaft has been actuated.

4. In a taximeter, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said shafts being separately and independently operable, means whereby said shafts may be actuated, a counter, a driving shaft, and means whereby said counter will be actuated by any rotation of said driving shaft only during the interval after said flag shaft has been returned to vacant position and before said printing shaft has been rotated.

5. In a taximeter, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said shafts being separately and independently operable, means whereby said shafts may be actuated, a counter, a driving shaft, and means whereby said counter is connected to said driving shaft on the complete operation of said flag shaft and the operation of said printing shaft disconnects said counter from said driving shaft.

6. In a taximeter, a printing shaft, means whereby said printing shaft may be rotated in one direction only, a flag shaft, means whereby said flag shaft may be actuated, a counter, and means to actuate said counter when the vehicle is operated only during the interval between the actuation of the flag shaft and the operation of the printing shaft.

7. In a taximeter, a counter, a gear connected thereto, a driving shaft, a flag shaft,

a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, and means to connect said gear with said driving shaft when said flag shaft is returned to vacant position and to disconnect said gear from said driving shaft when said printing shaft is operated.

8. In combination with a vehicle, a taximeter, a counter therein, a gear connected thereto, a driving shaft, a gear rotatably mounted thereon and meshing with said first mentioned gear, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, and means to connect said second mentioned gear with said driving shaft when said flag shaft is returned to vacant position and to disconnect said second mentioned gear from said driving shaft I when said printing shaft is actuated.

9. In combination with a vehicle, a taximeter, a counter therein, a gear connected thereto, a driving shaft, a gear rotatably mounted thereon and meshing with said first mentioned gear, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, a clutch means to connect said second mentioned gear with said driving shaft when said flag shaft is returned to vacant position, and means to render said clutch means inoperative when said printing shaft is actuated.

10. In combination with a vehicle, a taximeter, a counter therein, a gear connected thereto, a driving shaft, a gear and a clutch member connected together and rotatably mounted on said driving shaft, a sleeve splined to said driving shaft so as to rotate therewith but capable of longitudinal movement in regard nected to said sleeve, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, and means whereby said sleeve is shifted so as to cause said clutch members to engage when said flag shaft has been returned to vacant position and to shift said sleeve so as to disengage said clutch members when said printing shaft has been actuated.

11. In combination with a vehicle, a taximeter, a counter therein, a gear connected thereto, a driving shaft, a gear and a clutch member connected together and rotatably mounted on said driving shaft, a sleeve splined to said driving shaft so as to rotate therewith but capable of longitudinal movement in regard thereto, a clutch member connected to said sleeve, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, means whereby said sleeve is shifted so as to cause said clutch members to engage when said flag shaft has been rotated to vacant position and to shift said sleeve so as to disengage said clutch members when said printing shaft has been actuated, and means tending to urge said clutch members into engagement with each other.

12. In a taximeter, a counter, a driving shaft, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, a lever, means whereby said lever connects said counter and said driving shaft when the flag shaft is returned to vacant position, and means whereby the operation of said printing shaft causes said counter to be disconnected from said driving shaft.

13. In a taXimet-er, a counter, a driving shaft, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, a lever, means whereby said lever is normally held in one position, means whereby said lever is shifted from its normal position so as to connect said counter and said driving shaft when the flag shaft is returned to vacant position, and means whereby the operation of said printing shaft causes said counter to be disconnected from said driving shaft.

14. In a taximeter, a counter, a driving shaft, 3. flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and independently operable, a lever, means whereby said lever is caused to connect said counter thereto, a clutch member 0011- w and said driving shaft when said flag shaft is returned to vacant position, a cam mounted on said printing shaft, and means whereby said cam causes said counter to be dis- 5 connected from said driving shaft when said printing shaft is rotated.

15. In a taximeter, a counter, a driving shaft, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, said flag shaft and printing shaft being separately and m independently operable, a lever, a trigger, a

lug on said trigger normally engaging the upper end of said lever, spring means tending to hold said trigger so as to engage said lever, a cam on said flag shaft adapted to release 15 said trigger from said lever when the flag shaft has been rotated, a spring to shift said lever after being released from said trigger, means to connect said counter to said driving shaft when said lever is shifted to one posi- 20 tion, and a cam on said printing shaft to engage said lever to disengage said counter from said driving shaft and to cause said lever to again be engaged and held by said trigger.

16. In a taximeter, a flag shaft, a printing as shaft, said shafts being separately and independently operable, a counter, means to cause said counter to be actuated when the vehicle is driven during and only during the interval between the return of the flag shaft to vacant 30 position and the operation of the printing shaft, and means whereby a printed impres sion may be taken from said counter.

17. In a taximeter, a counter, a plurality of shafts, means whereby said shafts may be to separately actuated, means whereby said counter may be actuated during and only during the interval between the rotation of one of said shafts and the rotation of the other of said shafts, and means whereby a printed impression may be taken from said counter.

- 18. In a taXimeter, a flag shaft, a printing shaft, separate means whereby said shafts may be actuated, a counter, a driving shaft,

7 means whereby said counter will be actuated by-any rotation of said driving shaft during and only during the interval after said flag shaft has been returned to vacant position and before said printing shaft has been rotated, and means whereby a printed impression may be taken from said counter.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

BRIAN C. PALMER. 

